


A Mark Upon His Chest

by EerieBarbarian



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Back to Hogwarts, F/M, Hogwarts Eighth Year, M/M, Malfoy is Trying to be Nice, Moving Tattoo(s), Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, Trevor Wants to be Free, Trevor only Listens to Greg
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-17
Updated: 2020-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:41:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23186425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EerieBarbarian/pseuds/EerieBarbarian
Summary: When you turn eighteen, your soul mark appears upon your body like a tattoo in the shape of your soulmates patronus. When they touch you for the first time after it appears, the tattoo moves.Eighth year au. Everyone is happy and it's fluffy because the world is angsty enough for me. Who's pov is it? I don't particularly know, but it's kind of cute. I guess. Have a nice day.
Relationships: Background Hermione Granger/Fred Weasley, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Gregory Goyle/Neville Longbottom, Pansy Parkinson/Ron Weasley
Comments: 25
Kudos: 654





	A Mark Upon His Chest

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own these characters (I wish, but alas). They belong to J.K. Rowling. I merely created this situation.

Harry had not put much thought into soul marks before the war. He really hadn’t had the time. But now that the war was over, that seemed to be the only thing everyone else wanted to focus on. As they turned eighteen, the summer before retaking their last year at Hogwart’s, their soul marks started appearing on their bodies. Each in a different place, appearing as a small or occasionally large, tattoo of their soulmate’s Patronus. Harry felt a little bothered knowing that his soul mate would have a large stag tattooed somewhere on their body, but there was very little he could do about it.  
When Hermione’s mark appeared, the ink swirling into a small magpie on her shoulder, she had an awkward conversation with Ron. They had both been a bit sad when she didn’t have a terrier, but it wasn’t entirely unexpected when they were honest with each other. When Hermione came to visit for Ron’s birthday, she giggled when she saw Ron’s soul mark. He lifted his shirt to show her and Harry. A large cockatoo glared at them from his rib cage. It looked as though it would rather be anywhere in the world other than Ron’s ribs while looking bored.  
The day after Ron’s birthday, Hermione was sitting in the kitchen when Fred walked through. He touched her shoulder as he passed drawing a surprised yelp from Hermione when the little magpie moved under his hand. He pressed his free hand to the otter on his shoulder and smiled at her. “I thought it might be you,” he said and laughed softly. “Do you want to maybe go for a walk and talk a bit?” Ron was a bit sullen when he found out, but he was happy for his brother and his friend so he tried to get over it rather quickly.  
When Harry’s birthday finally rolled around, he was actively trying to avoid mirrors. He didn’t want to see it just yet. He had felt it when he awoke, a small weight on his chest as though someone’s hand was pressed to his skin. He showered with his eyes closed and turned his back to the mirror while getting dressed. He wanted to enjoy his birthday coffee without the expectations of a lifelong commitment looming over his head.  
Ron eventually came through the floo when he hadn’t heard from Harry. He was never late for his birthday meal with the Weasley’s and Ron was worried. Harry, who had finally given in and looked, was standing with a puzzled look on his face staring into the bathroom mirror. “Come on, mate,” Ron startled him from the doorway. “It has to be better than this annoyed cockatoo that I have. Let’s see it.”  
Harry turned. A large white peacock stared at Ron. It appeared to be looking down his nose at them. “Fuck,” Ron muttered. He only knew of two people with a peacock patronus and they were both Slytherins. “So, it’s Zabini or Malfoy then, yea?”  
Harry sighed deeply. “Considering that it’s white and appears to be sneering, I’d say Malfoy,” muttered Harry. “Of course it would be. Why couldn’t it be anyone else?”  
“So, you’d rather it was Goyle?” Ron stated blandly. Harry shoved him out of the doorway and headed down the stairs.  
“You’re an ass,” Harry muttered as he trudged down the stairs. Ron’s chuckle was the only response he got as he heard his footsteps behind him. 

As they boarded the train for Hogwart’s, Harry felt a sense of dread settle over him. Malfoy had taken great pains in his life to make Harry miserable and he worried that he would do so again. They sat quietly in their compartment, only startling when the train started to move. Hermione, in her typical fashion, pulled out a book and started taking notes in a spiral notepad. Ron tried to get Harry's attention a few times to no avail before he finally punched him in the shoulder, pulling his attention away from the window.  
“How about you stop moping, yea?” Ron huffed. “At least you know who yours is. Mine could be anyone. Could you imagine me being married to Millicent Bulstrode? Oh god, or Lavender? She was awful after we dated. She’ll make my life miserable if it’s her.”  
Harry couldn’t help but to chuckle at his friend’s dramatic antics. As Ron swooned on the bench seat, even Hermione gave in to the giggles. Their laughter was cut short when the compartment door was swept open and Draco Malfoy stepped in.  
“Ahh, here you are Potter,” he said as he took the empty seat next to Harry. He was followed by Parkinson and Goyle. He held out his hand to Harry. “Go ahead so that this great beast can hopefully move off of my chest. The weight is irritating to my scars.” He raised an eyebrow at the reminder of his Sectumsempra scars to see if Harry would say anything.  
Harry rolled his eyes. He had apologised several times for those scars. He wouldn’t do it again. “Alright, fine,” he sighed, taking Malfoy’s hand. When the peacock moved, he looked down his shirt. It was ruffling it’s feathers and preening at the attention. “I knew it was you anyways.”  
Malfoy absently rubbed his chest where the stag was cantering in small circles. “How’d you know it was me? I mean yours is obvious.”  
Harry turned to him and raised his shirt to reveal the preening bird. It scowled as it looked at the others. Pansy dissolved into a fit of giggles when she saw it. “It looks like you,” she crowed between laughs. As she laughed, she elbowed Ron(who was also laughing) in the ribs. They both stopped laughing abruptly and looked at each other. She rolled up her sleeve to reveal a small terrier running around on her arm. Ron pulled his shirt up, the cockatoo ruffling it’s feathers and looking down it’s nose at them had Draco laughing out loud.  
“You’re one to talk Pansy,” he snorted. “That bird looks like a menace.” He laughed again, “That’s what Blaise said about you when Daphne asked if he’d take you on a date.”  
“Oh, fuck you, Draco,” Pansy hissed. She looked Ron up and down and shrugged. “At least it’s not Macmillan. You’ll do, I suppose.”  
“Gee, thanks,” Ron muttered and rolled his eyes. He leaned his head back and covered his face with his hands. “At least you're not Lavender,” he muttered from between his fingers.  
Hermione had watched things unfold, quietly observing. She was surprised to see Harry and Malfoy sitting beside each other quietly and not fighting. She didn’t want to jinx it, so she tried to include Goyle. “Have you gotten your mark yet, Goyle?” She looked at the bulky young man. He had lost a lot of weight and looked like he lifted weights daily. “Or may I call you Gregory? It seems we may be spending a lot of time together now.”  
He looked surprised that she had spoken to him. He looked at his shoes before looking at Hermione. “Mine is a cloud,” his deep voice rumbled softly. “It doesn’t have a shape. You can call me whatever you like. Malfoy says we have to be nice to you now so that Potter doesn’t get mad at him.”  
“Would you shut up?” Draco hissed as he elbowed Goyle in the side. “You’re not supposed to tell them that.”  
“But that’s what you said,” Goyle argued. He rolled his eyes so hard that his head turned.  
Hermione smiled at them. “Well, we appreciate the kindness, Gregory. I would like for us to be nice to you as well.”  
Goyle grinned at this. “Does this mean you’ll help me with my schoolwork? With you and Malfoy helping me, I’m sure to get passing marks.”  
“I’d be happy to help you,” Hermione beamed. Ron and Harry always complained about her study habits so it was nice to be appreciated. 

When they had finally arrived to Hogwart’s and stood waiting outside the Great Hall, McGonagall informed them that they could sit where they liked. The house tables had been removed and they would be using round tables from now on to encourage inter house unity.  
As the Slytherins sat with the golden trio, whispers erupted around the Great Hall. Harry ignored it, waving to Ginny as she passed with Luna. As they waited for the first years to be sorted, Pansy got Harry’s attention. “Look, Potter,” she started awkwardly, “I just wanted to apologise for what I did. I understand if you don’t forgive me, but…”  
Harry held up a hand to cut her off. “I’m not going to judge you for decisions that you made when you were scared.” He looked her in the eyes before looking to Draco and Goyle, as well. “No one should be blamed for trying to keep their family safe. Besides, it’s in the past. Let’s leave it there, yea?”  
She smiled at him and nodded her head. “Yes, let’s.” She looked at Hermione and then at Ron. “Although it has to be said that I never thought I’d be willingly sitting with Gryffindors.”  
They all chuckled a little at that. “Neither did we,” Ron agreed. He looked around to see if everyone had come back and was surprised to see that Neville wasn’t there. He was just about to comment on it when a toad came hopping in from the large doors. Neville followed behind trying to catch it and missing as it hopped away.  
“Trevor,” he whined at the toad. “You’re much too old for this.” Ron laughed as he watched Neville try to catch Trevor.  
“Some things never change,” he muttered, shaking his head. “Oye, Neville. Heard him this way.”  
Goyle got up slowly and approached the toad. He crouched down and in one quick sweep, he had him. He inclined his head at the table and Neville sat, quickly followed by Goyle. When Neville held his hand out for Trevor, Goyle gently handed him over. Their fingers brushed lightly and the two stared at each other. Neville pulled back the sleeve of his cloak. A large badger snuffled around near his shoulder. Goyle smiled softly at him. “I guess we need to work on your happy memories?” he said quietly, pulling back his sleeve to reveal the swirling mist of the non corporeal patronus.  
As Harry looked around at his table companions, he decided that this was going to be a very interesting year.


End file.
